


XIX. Little Star-Shaped Stickers

by BubblyWashingMachine



Series: Every Little Hurt Counts [febuwhump 2021] [19]
Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: ??? - Freeform, Adopted Sibling Relationship, Banter, Bittersweet Ending, FebuWhump2021, Febuwhump, Fluff and Humor, Gen, Hostage Situations, No Romance, Number Five | The Boy is So Done, POV Vanya Hargreeves, Pre-Canon, Shooting Guns, Sibling Love, Vanya Hargreeves Needs A Hug, febuwhumpday19, five's love language is stealing things i think, if you HAVENT seen the show, no one gets shot though, oh shit it's past midnight, only if you've seen the show, then why are you here, uhhh, vanya gets some new friends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-19
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-15 10:54:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29558022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BubblyWashingMachine/pseuds/BubblyWashingMachine
Summary: “Vanya, you can come out,” Jessica says when the gunfire and fighting has died down, nudging her. “It’s over.”Vanya frowns. “I think I’ll just stay here.”“But Miss Anderson wants us to do a headcount,” Jessica says anxiously. “And Thomas wants Spaceboy’s autograph.”“Fine.” Vanya crawls out from under the chair, standing up but keeping her head down. It's bad enough that the Umbrella Academy had to show up - if Five sees her, he’ll absolutely embarrass her in front of her orchestra friends, and—“Vanya!” Five says, popping up next to her in a burst of blue. Jessica screams. “What the hell are you doing here?”...Set when the siblings are teenagers - Vanya's with her youth orchestra, on their annual field trip to see a live concert performed at the Icarus theatre. But when the evening takes a dark turn, the Umbrella Academy have to save the day, and they do a very bad job of pretending not to know their littlest sister.
Relationships: Number Five | The Boy & Vanya Hargreeves
Series: Every Little Hurt Counts [febuwhump 2021] [19]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2137428
Comments: 21
Kudos: 183





	XIX. Little Star-Shaped Stickers

**Author's Note:**

> Today I am using the alternate prompt 'hostage situation' because i apparently didn't like whatever one was supposed to be there?? idk what it was but. hostages now  
> technically it's not even day 19 anymore since it's past midnight now. shit.
> 
> hmm so this did not turn out like how i imagined,,, it was supposed to be angsty and stressful and tense. you know, like a hostage situation? but it is.... not. it's very sweet actually. I hope you like it anyway,,,? i accidentally fell in love with the silly OCs I made for Vanya's orchestra friends. i love them. Thomas has a crush on luther, i'm telling you
> 
> first the canapes, and now this. why. I wish I had the kind of friendship that i write five and vanya as having... :(

Vanya has been looking forward to this trip for _forever_.

When she was first allowed to join the local youth orchestra a few months ago, meeting for rehearsals every Monday and Thursday afternoon, all the children there had immediately raved to her about the annual field trip to the Icarus theatre. They had told her, in excited voices, about how they all get to go out for a fancy evening and watch a professional orchestra perform, as part of their curriculum, and Vanya had thought, _woah!_

She’s had it marked on her calendar for months now, and she even used one of her precious star-shaped stickers, one of the ones Five stole from a convenience store that was being robbed (not by him. Well, not by him at first until he stole stickers and candy, so the store basically got robbed twice) and gave to her for their twelfth birthday. She has one on her violin case, one on her water bottle, and she’s been hoarding the rest. But she decided that the special concert night was important enough to warrant the use of a sticker – that’s how much she was looking forward to it.

She didn’t imagine her night would go like _this_.

Here is what happens:

After Mom drops her off outside the theatre, with a kiss goodbye and a promise to be on her best behaviour – all her classmates staring in awe at their incredibly extravagant car – Vanya is sitting in a plush velvet seat in the middle rows between two classmates, a cellist named Jessica and another violinist called Thomas. Because the youth orchestra is funded by the local council, they get the _best_ seats – front row.

In lieu of an actual _formal_ outfit, she is wearing her everyday shirt and tie, and a pair of Klaus’ grey uniform pants that she had to trade him in exchange for one of her skirts. It was worth it – she much prefers the pants. To complete the picture, you must also know that she even asked Ben to braid her hair into a long plait that, although a little messy, is draped rather elegantly over one shoulder. Vanya feels very mature.

“These seats are so freaking _fancy,_ ” Jessica whispers. She’s holding a program – Vanya didn’t know that she was supposed to bring money to buy one, and she eyes it jealously. _She_ wants a program. “What the hell? This place is like a Downton Abbey set in real life.”

Vanya doesn’t know what Downton Abbey is, and she says, a little confused, “Aren’t these just normal seats?”

“Dude,” Thomas says. “Are you _rich_?”

Vanya says, “Um...”

Then the curtains open, and the lights dim slightly, and he turns away.

Now Vanya is watching the orchestra assemble onstage, her jaw slightly slack. She’s never been to a real concert before – the musicians all look so professional and sleek, completely in their element up there under the lights with everyone watching them.

Vanya thinks, in wonder, _that could be me someday…_

And then, of course, her night is completely _ruined._

The deafening sound of a gun firing into the ceiling sends everyone – audience members and musicians alike – into a panic. People start screaming, and crying, and Vanya slides from her chair down onto the floor, beckoning for Jessica and Thomas to join her. But they’re frozen in place, shrieking.

From the side entrance of the theatre, half a dozen armed people in masks have waltzed in like they own the place.

“Everyone stay where you are!” yells a man into the crowded auditorium. “We have all the exits blocked! Everyone shut up!”

When everyone does _not_ shut up, he resorts to more gunfire, and bits of dust and plaster trickle down from the roof onto the audience.

Now: quiet and whimpering.

Vanya remains crouched down low, trying to stay calm. She realises that the front row is actually the worst place to be in this situation.

“We don’t want to hurt you,” the man shouts. “But we will if we have to.”

He strolls around the seats, and then jumps up onto the now-empty stage. He holds his arms out wide.

“We have made demands to the Mayor’s office and given them details to a bank account. If ten million dollars is not deposited into this account within the hour, we will start picking you off one by one.”

The audience members start to cry and talk over each other again, muttering, scared, the noise rising. Vanya glares up at the masked man. _How dare he?_ This was going to be her night! She’s been anticipating it for months! Why did this have to happen _today_?

“Children, stay calm,” the orchestra chaperone says, her voice quivering. “Everything is going to be okay. The police will arrive soon.”

Thomas says, eagerly, “Maybe the Umbrella Academy will come save us!”

Vanya fights the urge to roll her eyes.

“My Mom says the Umbrella Academy should be illegal,” Jessica says, sniffling. “Because they’re vigilantes.”

“But they save people!” Thomas turns to Vanya, who is still crouching. “Vanya, you agree with me, don’t you?”

She pauses.

“They _do_ help people,” Vanya admits, thinking about it. To be frank, the helping people part of the job never really comes up much in conversation with her siblings – just the fighting bad guys part. But she hopes her siblings don’t show up this time – that would be so awkward.

“See? Vanya agrees with me.”

“Whatever,” Jessica relents, sighing. “Whoever is gonna show up, I hope they do fast.”

Vanya pokes her head up and looks around – some visitors are arguing with the armed people, which she thinks is rather stupid. Children and babies cry – why someone would bring a baby to a live concert, she has no idea – and the yelling man is watching them all from the stage, now silent.

Vanya ducks back down. “Yeah, me too.”

And saying those words out loud must have jinxed her or something, because at that moment, the Umbrella Academy comes smashing through the doors.

Thomas gasps.

“Oh, _no_ ,” Vanya says, and crawls under her chair. Luckily she’s small, and easy to hide, so she just waits there with her eyes shut and her hands over her ears while the sound of gunfire and yelling explodes around her. _Curse the amazing acoustics in this theatre,_ Vanya thinks, grimacing. It is very loud.

“Vanya, you can come out,” Jessica says after a while, leaning down and nudging her. “It’s over.”

Vanya frowns. “I think I’ll just stay here.”

“But Miss Anderson wants us to do a headcount,” Jessica says anxiously. “And Thomas wants Spaceboy’s autograph.”

“Fine,” Vanya says, and crawls out, standing up but keeping her head down. If Five sees her, he’ll embarrass her in front of her friends, and—

“Vanya!”

Oh, no.

She ducks behind a wide-eyed Jessica.

“ _Vanya_ ,” Five says again, this time popping up next to her in a burst of blue. Jessica screams. “What the hell are you doing here?”

She narrows her eyes at him. “The concert? I told you about it.”

“That was _here_?”

She purses her lips. “Yeah.” _Obviously._

“Well – are you okay?” Five looks her up and down, as if scanning her.

“I’m fine,” she stresses. “No injuries.” How can she make him go away?

He doesn’t seem to care what she says, and pokes around her head to see if her hair is secretly hiding a giant oozing wound. She bats his hands away, and he gives up, seemingly appeased.

“Finished your examination?”

“Sure,” Five says, shrugging. “I’m sure Mom will look you over.”

_Ugh._ “I was under my seat the entire time,” she says, which is sort of true. “Also? Your face is bleeding.”

Five’s eyebrows rise. “Really?” He wipes at his cut lip and his finger comes away red. “Oh, yeah. I hit the wall.”

“With your face.”

“No, with my leg, and that’s why my face is—”

“ _Yeah_ , yeah,” Vanya says hurriedly. “Okay, well, I’m sure your hoard of fans are missing you, so…”

“Hm.” He keeps standing there, looking bored, his hands stuffed in his pockets. The mask hides his eyes. Vanya glances around frantically, hoping that no one is watching. Jessica’s mouth is open.

In her peripheral vision, Vanya notices the chaperone trying to get all the other kids in line, while they all jostle and slip out of her way to try and get a glimpse of the heroes. Vanya chews her lip.

“Look, it was nice to see you, but—”

He frowns. “You trying to get rid of me, Sev?”

_Um._ “Yes.”

“Aren’t you gonna introduce me to all your nerdy orchestra friends?”

“No,” she hisses. He smirks.

“Aw. Why not?”

“You’re embarrassing me,” she tells him seriously. “Go away.”

He ignores her, turning to a stunned Jessica and giving her his most charming _“I will not kill you_ ” smile – the one with the dimples – and smoothly takes her hand and shakes it. “Hi. I’m Number Five. Vanya’s brother? I’m sure she’s told you _all_ about—” he yelps when Vanya kicks his shin.

“Go. _Away_.”

He scowls. “Rude; I just saved your life.”

Five proudly jabs a thumb towards the pile of dead men in the centre of the stage.

“Wow. Good for you. Now you can go.” They glare at each other. He doesn’t budge.

“Number Five, the Boy,” Jessica mutters, probably still not recovered from the dimples, “is your _brother_?”

“No,” Vanya says quickly. “He’s not.”

Jessica looks like she’s a little in shock. “I’m pretty sure he is.”

“I’ve never met him before in my life.”

“Yeah, love you too, Ven,” Five says, and she just _knows_ that he is rolling his eyes behind the mask.

Ben picks the worst time to come running over. “Five, there’s a kid who wants— _Vanya_?”

“I’m not Vanya,” Vanya hisses, her face going bright pink. “You have the wrong person.”

“Huh?” Ben looks confused.

Five says, “Vanya has amnesia – she got hit in the head.”

Ben jerks back. “ _What!_ ”

“That’s not true,” Vanya tells him immediately. “Five’s the one who got hit in the head.”

“No, I didn’t,” Five says, scowling.

“Oh yeah,” she says, turning to him and pouting. “You were just born like that. It’s so sad.” He pulls an exaggerated pained expression and presses a hand to his heart, miming being shot. She sticks her tongue out at him.

“Hi,” Ben says, smiling at Jessica and shaking her slack hand. “I’m Ben. You must be one of Vanya’s orchestra friends?”

“Y-yes, I am. Vanya said she was an only child,” Jessica says, dazed. “Um, it’s nice to meet you.”

“Vanya _wishes_ she was an only child,” Five says.

“Vanya is _going_ to be an only child very soon if you don’t go away,” Vanya says.

“Are you embarrassed by us?” Ben asks, sounding a bit sad. Vanya’s face goes hot again.

“No – no, well…” It’s just that she’s worked so hard to get the orchestra kids to like her. Finally, people were talking to her and finding her funny, and she did it all on her own. She didn’t need the Umbrella Academy’s help. She’s made friends, she’s a real _part_ of something, and now, she’s going to be _different_ again.

She wants to be known as ‘Vanya the nice violinist’, not ‘the Umbrella Academy’s useless loser sister with no powers’.

“She doesn’t want her two families finding out about each other,” Five says mildly, but he’s watching her intently. “A classic dilemma for those leading double lives.”

He doesn’t protest when Vanya starts surreptitiously shoving him back in the direction he came from, towards where the others are dazzling a crowd of flashing cameras.

“ _Please_ just – I’ll literally see you in like, an hour,” she says. “Can you just –”

“Hey, yeah, we’re going,” Five says, raising his hands in surrender. “I’ll see you later. I’m glad you’re okay.”

“I’m glad you’re okay too,” she mutters, feeling embarrassed. Five grabs Ben by the elbow and drags him back into the fray – Ben gives her and Jessica a little wave goodbye. She raises a hand too.

“Jessica, Vanya!” Someone shouts. _Thomas_ , Vanya realises. “Look! It’s Spaceboy!” He comes jogging over, gesturing to the very awkward Luther attached to him.

Jessica grins at him and then whispers. “Um, it he _also_ your brother?”

“Yes,” Vanya mumbles, shrinking back, but it’s too late – Luther’s seen her.

“Vanya?” He says, gaping, and then suddenly clams up. “Um, I mean, random civilian I don’t know – sorry, wrong person—”

“You know Vanya?” Thomas asks, lighting up. “No way!”

“No, I – actually don’t,” Luther says. _God, he’s the worst liar._

“He saved my life once,” Vanya says easily.

“Yes!” Luther laughs, sounding relieved. He swings his arms around, shifting his weight nervously. “That’s what happened. Yep.”

Vanya nods. “Yep.” They fidget.

“Woah,” Thomas breathes. “That’s so sick.”

Vanya laughs, a tittering, wheezy sound. “Um, okay! Well—”

“Yes,” Luther says, his mouth opening in an _O._ “I have to – go. Home. With my team.”

He walks backwards with a jerky wave and almost trips over someone’s discarded gun.

“Wow,” Thomas says, his hands wrapped tightly around his program, with Luther’s signature scribbled on it. “I can’t believe you know him.”

Vanya cringes. “Well, I wouldn’t say that,” and Jessica sends her a disbelieving look.

…

An hour later, Vanya sits on the edge of her bed, her elbows on her knees and her chin in her hands. She’s in her pyjamas, her lame excuse for a formal outfit put neatly away. She has unraveled her hair out of the braid, and now it’s all crinkly and tangled. The reflective star-shaped sticker on her calendar shines in the lamplight mockingly.

She’s waiting for the inevitable—

_Pop!_ Blue light splashes across the wall in front of her, and she lifts her head with a sad smile.

“Hi, Five.”

“Oh, _now_ you’ll acknowledge my existence,” he gripes, dropping down onto the bed and making it rock. “Nice to see you too, stranger.”

“I’m sorry,” she tells him, leaning back onto her palm. “I panicked.”

She feels him looking at her, and he hums. “Yeah, whatever. I get it, you don’t want me to steal away all your new friends. A valid concern – I am extremely enchanting.”

“Five,” she says, frowning, “someone’s been lying to you.”

He furrows his eyebrows at her. “Orchestra turned you into a jerk.”

“You’re one to talk.” She grins.

He looks around the room, his gaze landing on the star sticker, and she predicts exactly what he’s going to ask. “So how was the show? Before the goons turned up, I mean.”

“It didn’t even _start_ ,” Vanya laments, collapsing backwards onto the bed. “I saw _nothing_.” And she has no idea what she’s going to do about Jessica, for that matter. But that’s something for her to worry about tomorrow.

“Aw.” Five picks at his nails. “Will they reschedule?”

“Yeah, probably,” she sighs, gazing at the flaky ceiling paint above her. “But still. Sometimes I feel like I’m _cursed_.”

“You are,” Five says gravely, laying down beside her. “It’s the curse of the unlucky Number Seven.”

“Well, is there a cure?” she sulks, crossing her arms across her chest.

“Yes,” Five says. He drops something on her face, and she shrieks, flinging her arms up.

“Five!”

He doesn’t answer, and she lifts herself up on her elbows. Whatever he dropped on her head is stuck in her hair – she fishes it out and examines it in the dim light.

A program for the show.

A warm feeling fills her chest. “Did you steal this? For me?”

“Obviously.”

She stares at him. “I feel bad now.”

“Good,” Five says, but he’s smiling smugly. “Aren’t I the best?”

Vanya looks back down at the glossy cardstock in her hands. There is a picture of a woman playing violin, with a very severe look of concentration on her face. In fact, she looks a little constipated. “Perhaps.”

“You’ll have to do better than _perhaps_.”

“You’re definitely my favourite sibling,” she says, holding herself back from expressing an excess of emotion, because Five always gets twitchy when she cries. “How about that?”

“Better,” he decides, after considering it.

She blinks, and swallows the pesky feelings back down. “Um, if I ask you something, will you be honest?”

“Duh,” Five says. “Always.”

“Okay.” She holds up the program, and looks him in the eyes with a steely gaze. “Do I look like this when I play?”

Five’s face splits into a wide smile and he laughs loudly. “No.”

“No? Promise? I need to know now so that I still have time to pick up a different skill.”

“Well, sometimes,” he amends, still giggling. “When you think no one’s watching.”

“ _What_ – FIVE!”

She smacks him on the head with the paper, and he rolls away, clutching his sides and struggling to get his words out. “Look – you just, _sometimes_ – _hey_!” She whacks him again.

“You said you didn’t spy on me while I played!”

“You play _better_ when you think I’m not there,” he complains, and throws his hands up to protect his face, and then he falls off the bed and onto the rug with a _thump._ “Ow.”

“Sorry,” she says, a bit delayed, and then when he doesn’t get up, she leans over the side. He groans, his face smushed against the floor. She feels kinda bad for him.

“You know I actually did, like, fight four guys today to save your life, right? You remember that?”

“Yeah,” she says, wincing. “And that wall.”

“And that wall,” Five agrees.

She gnaws on her lip. “Sorry I pretended not to know you. And that you got beat up by a wall.”

Five opens one eye and narrows it at her. “And?”

“And _thank you_ for saving my life,” Vanya says reluctantly.

Five sits up immediately, flashing her a grin. “ _Aw_ , you’re welcome.”

“I’ll hit you again,” she threatens.

“Mm.” Five stretches out. “You know? I’m pretty confident that I could beat you in a fight. If it really came down to it.”

“Um. Doubtful,” Vanya scoffs, hauling her brother back onto the bed. “Very unlikely.”

Five cocks his head. “Oh yeah?”

“You could never fight me,” she says confidently. “You love me too much.”

“But _you_ could fight me,” he says, frowning, “even though I’m your _favourite_.”

She frowns. “Well, I wouldn’t _have_ to fight you.”

“Because I love you too much? So I would just immediately surrender?”

“Yeah,” she says, beaming. “Because of that.”

“Fine,” Five says. He sighs from his nose, and sounds very put off about it. “You’re right. Okay? I wouldn’t fight you, unlucky Number Seven.”

“Why…?”

He grumbles. “Because I love you too much.”

“Correct.”

Vanya smiles.

**Author's Note:**

> If only they knew.
> 
> hehe.  
> See you tomorrow ;) or.... later today, i guess. god, i need to go to bed.


End file.
